Projection
by WriteToLive
Summary: Tiny ficlet based off the post-credits scene in Iron Man 3. Spoilers for that scene, and mostly-vague references to the movie. Proceed with caution if you haven't seen it yet.


Tony's talking about Switzerland. About being drunk in Switzerland, on New Year's Eve. It's pretty much the same as every pre-Iron Man story out of his mouth. Bruce rests his head on his hand, and wonders when, exactly, he became Tony Stark's personal psychiatrist.

##

The first time this happened, it wasn't nearly so formal. Tony just knocked on his door, and he'd let him in. The fact that he'd just got out of the shower, and only had a towel around his waist, didn't seem to be a big deal.

'So, I just had a fight with Pepper.'

'Uh…OK. Why?'

Tony paused in the doorway, and stared at him. 'Why did I have a fight with Pepper? Because you say that like it's a thing I shouldn't do. Like, it's ill-advised because I might lose.'

'You got that from one word?'

'So it's not what you meant?'

Bruce sighed, and ran a hand through still-wet hair. 'You're projecting. I'll rephrase. What was the fight about?

'I'm not sure.' Tony wandered over to his couch, and dropped down onto his back. Bruce stared at him. Then closed the door, because he'd only been here a month and it seemed rude to object. 'I bought her a necklace, and she yelled at me. And may I just say, _projecting_ is a word only shrinks use. Or armchair psychologists who think they know what it means.'

'Do you know what it means?'

'Do you?' Tony swivelled his head, and gave him that laser-glare he usually only used for comic effect. Or when he was really, seriously, pissed, and about to go Iron Man on someone's ass. 'I didn't know you were that kind of doctor.'

'I'm not. At all.' Bruce looked down at himself. Clothes. Definitely. 'So, why did she yell at you?'

'No idea. Help me out.'

'…I'm not exactly an expert in women, Tony.'

'Oh, come on. You must have bought Betty gifts. Did she ever threaten to rip your head off when you did?'

'Pepper said that? Wow.' He pulled some shorts and slacks on, and walked to the chairs, towelling his hair. 'I need more data.'

Tony seemed to have forgotten his question, and was tapping his fingertips together. A rapid beat, that seemed to have a rhythm. Bruce watched, and realised it was Morse code. _Nuke nuke nuke nuke nuke_… 'She said I'd forgotten to meet her at a function, like, a week ago. So I got her this necklace to say sorry, 'cos y'know, it's better than _saying_ sorry, right? And she took it, and then she threw it at me.'

'Nothing connecting those two events?'

'Yeah. She yelled, _I could rip your stupid head off, sometimes, Tony_. And _then_she threw it.'

Bruce watched that staccato beat. It was hypnotic, in its way. 'Maybe saying sorry would have been better.'

'You think?' The fingers paused. Tony rolled his eyes to look at him. The fingers restarted. 'Better than diamonds?'

'Well, you know her better than I do. But she doesn't seem like the sort of women who likes jewels over sincerity.'

'Hey! I was sincere. Look at my face. Does this not seem sincere to you?' He pulled his serious face. Bruce had to chuckle. And then reach over, to close his hand over Tony's. Like he could stop that one word in its tracks. _Nuke nuke nu…_

'Try it again. And have JARVIS remind you more than once about functions you absolutely have to go to.'

Tony stared at him so long, it got uncomfortable. Bruce shifted in his seat, and looked away. Scrutiny wasn't his favourite thing, even from a friend. 'You're right. You're absolutely right. You're a genius.'

'Well…'

'You are! At this, I mean. Not the other thing. We all know you're the world's smartest guy at the other thing.' Tony pulled himself up from the couch, and was at the door a second later. It was exhausting, how fast he moved. Especially considering how little the guy had been sleeping, and how much work he put into pretending he was. 'You coming up for dinner? Cap's bringing Chinese.'

'Oh. Uh…he's back?'

'I didn't tell you?'

'No.'

'Well, I did now. And frankly, it'll be less weird if you're there.'

'It'll be less weird if you apologise to Pepper before he gets here.'

'That too. So…?'

Bruce sighed again, and glanced at his computer. He was just getting used to being a scientist again. He'd missed it. And it was easier than learning how to have friends. 'Yeah, sure. I'll see you up there.'

'Awesome.'

Tony left. Bruce slumped back in his armchair, and stared at the couch. _Nuke nuke nuke nuke nuke._

'JARVIS?'

'Doctor Banner?'

'Remind me to check in on Tony in a few days, OK? Not for work. And don't tell him.'

'Consider it done, sir.'

##

From that, to this. Bruce has been up all night in the lab, because that's the best time to put Stark Industries work aside, and get back to looking for a cure. His head nods, and he jerks back upright, making his eyes wide in an effort to keep them open. But Tony's describing a lift, and a girl, and much as Bruce wants to hear what happened with the Mandarin while he was away, the room's too warm to fight it.

Just five minutes. Tony won't even notice. His fingers are still, locked together over a chest with no light in it. He'll be fine.


End file.
